[10][11] Despite taking an eight at the 14th hole, Bobby Locke opened the championship on Wednesday with a round of 70 (−3), tying Burton for the lead.

[3][13] John Fallon was the surprise leader after 54 holes by two shots, but he could not cope with the strong winds and fell back to 3rd place with a final round 79 (+6).

Bulla, the only American to make the 36-hole cut,[7] began the final round on Friday afternoon four strokes behind Fallon.

At the second hole, he hooked his drive over the parallel 17th fairway and into a railway yard; he finished with a round of even-par 73 and established a clubhouse lead of at even par 292.

Since Burton's 1939 win, the sole British winner at St Andrews was Nick Faldo of England in 1990.